What to Expect after Dental Bone Graft

One of the best ways to replace a missing tooth is through a dental implant. If your orthodontist determines that you are a good candidate for a dental implant, you might need to undergo a bone grafting operation first. This procedure will help your jawbone provide support and combine well with the titanium screw that provides anchorage to the dental implant in your mouth. Read on to understand more about dental implants, dental bone graft healing, and what to expect after a dental bone graft operation.

Understanding Dental Bone Graft

Bone grafting is a minimally invasive surgery that aims to provide the tissue that supports a new bone's growth. When a patient who needs a dental implant has too weak or too soft jawbone tissues that cannot support the dental implant, a dental bone graft is an ideal procedure. The weakening of a patient's jawbone may result from aging naturally or any other medical issue. Bone grafting requires the doctor to remove bone tissue from another part of your body and replace the weak or soft jawbone. In many cases, the doctor assesses the patient's jawbone's health and determines the bone grafting procedure's extent. After a dental bone graft surgical procedure, the bone graft healing process begins. It may take a few months for the graft to hold and start creating new jawbone tissues. In recent times, cadaver sources or animals also provide bone tissue that replaces the jaw's missing bone. The good thing with the non-traditional sources is that they are less responsible for less morbidity and prevent the patient from having a second surgical site. They are also as equally successful as the traditional sources of bone tissue.

What to Expect after Dental Bone Graft

As we have seen, a bone graft assists in replacing missing bones in your jaw to create a more stable base for dental implants. However, many patients do not know what to expect during dental bone graft healing. Below are some of the things you should expect after dental bone graft treatments.

Swelling

One thing to expect during the dental bone graft healing process is that your face will swell. You can take the necessary steps to prevent extreme swelling of the face after your dental bone graft operation. One of the best methods is to use ice. Icing is ideal for reducing dental bone graft pain after surgery.

Pain and Discomfort

You will experience some pain and discomfort, but the pain is bearable. Most people equate it to the pain one may feel after extracting a tooth. Icing the face and mouth area where the doctor conducted the surgery reduces blood flow into the gum tissues. Minimizing the blood flow into the gums helps minimize bleeding. Therefore, icing can minimize bleeding, allowing the jawbone muscles to heal correctly. You can do it at regular intervals during the first two days after the surgery for better results.

Temporary Changes in Diet

Making drastic changes to your diet will help in the recovery from dental bone graft. It will also help in minimizing dental bone graft pain after surgery. There is no standard change to the diet because the changes rely on the extent of the dental bone grafting procedure, which varies for every individual case. Ideally, the doctor will prescribe cold fluids during the first few days after the surgery for some patients. That means you may find yourself restricted only to milkshakes, cold soups, juices, and smoothies. For others, room temperature soft foods can work. Such meals would include oatmeal, mashed potatoes, or pudding. The general idea is to restrict the patient from chewing. It means that part of the dental bone graft healing process would bar everyone from eating hard or crunchy foods after undergoing the dental bone graft procedure. The fluids and soft foods ensure that nothing gets lodged in the graft site after dental bone graft.

Sleeping Position Changes

Your sleeping position determines the influx of blood into the graft site. As such, the patient sleeps on their back, propping up their head on pillows. It reduces blood flow into the graft site, thereby reducing the dental bone graft pain after surgery. For someone unable to sleep on their back, avoid sleeping on the side that the grafting procedure took place.

Reduced Physical Activity

For several days after the procedure, you may not engage in any strenuous activity. Avoiding strenuous exercise is helpful in your recovery from dental bone graft. A vigorous activity would increase blood flow in the body, meaning that blood flow to the graft site will also increase. The result may be extreme pain, even accompanied by bleeding. Avoiding strenuous exercise will therefore aid the healing process.

All on 4 Dental Implants

If you need a better solution to replace multiple teeth, your doctor can recommend All-on-4 dental implants, thanks to Dental technology advancements. This treatment option offers full mouth rehabilitation, supported by four to six dental implants. It provides you with greater results and has many benefits over other dental treatment options. Besides, they give you a more natural feeling when wearing the teeth, especially when talking or chewing. All on 4 dental implants in Los Angeles are usually ideal for patients with multiple tooth loss, but the doctor still needs to examine other factors. Depending on the extent of the surgical procedure you need, your doctor can prescribe all on 4 dental implants or any other suitable treatment.

Where to Get Dental Bone Grafting Sevices in Los Angeles

If you reside in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and Century City, and are considering getting dental implants, Arman Torbati DDS. can take care of your dental bone grafting needs. Dr. Torbati's over 25 years of experience in dental surgery and prosthodontics puts him in a great position to take care of all your dental needs. Whether you need partial or full mouth rehabilitation, Arman Torbati DDS. is conversant with common dental issues and a variety of dental implant treatments. The advantage of seeking dental treatment from Dr. Torbati's clinic is that our dental implants are less costly than many other specialists. That means you do not have to worry about dental implants cost in Los Angeles. Besides, if you've got a maximum benefit indicated on your health insurance, you can receive more coverage.

Bottom-line

If you are considering getting some dental implants, your Los Angeles dentist may prescribe a dental bone graft to strengthen your jawbone to support the implants. However, the doctor only prescribes the dental jawbone graft for someone with extremely weak or soft jawbones. Expect some pain, swelling, and discomfort after undergoing the dental grafting procedure. You can minimize the pain and facilitate a smooth healing process by icing and generally minimizing blood flow influx into the graft site. Contact us today for a dental consultation, and the professionalism and the accuracy of service will leave you impressed.